Shoe upper lacing machine



July 30, 1946; J. FOSSA snore: UPPER LACING MACHINE- Filed April- 27, 1943 i 2 Sheets-Sheet l //v VENTUF... $25 ad.

y 30,19 6- J. FbSSA 2,404,834

SHOE UPPER meme MACHINE Filed April 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 30, 1946 UNITED STATES OFFICE.

SHOE UPPER LACING MACHINE Joseph Fossa, Lynn, s-l, assignor o. Un ed Shoe, Machinery Corpor on, R mington,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 27, 1943, Serial No. 484,689

4. Claims. 1

. present invention. relates to shoe upper lacin machines and more particularly to im- Pmvem nts in slackformin andm asurin fingers forlacingy a hines which are arranged to carry loops of lacing cord alternately through he eyelets of ashoe upper and across the ed es thereof...

In the machine of inventors prior United States Letters Patent No. 2,106,320, granted, January 25', 1,938, No. 2,281,686, granted May 5, 1-942, and, No. 2,327,345, granted August 24, 1943, there is provided; a plurality of lacing mechanisms havih a series of lacing needles for inserting a separately fastened lacing within each pair of aligned eyelets in a folded shoe upper, I'he which act. to carry the upper into operating position in the machine, and which thereafter are reciprocated and alternately moved laterally first in one direction and then, in the other to, carry aseparate Strand of cord through each pair of aligned eyeletsjto. arm an individual lacing, TO enable the laced upper to be opened out for application to a last, the lacings are formed With. a predetermined amount of slack. To form, the slack in the lacings, each needle during its lateral movement carries the lacing cord across a cord measuring finger which is'suitably spaced from the upper.

In the machine of, the patents, the cord measuring fingers are arranged with easily manipulated adjustments for use with different styles and sizes of lasts to which the uppers, after being opened out, are applied. When applied to a last, the eyeletted edges of the upper may extend in parallel relation to each or with varying degrees of angular divergence from the toe end of the edges towards the ankle opening in the upper, depending on the style of last. To enable this angular divergence to be changed, the measuring fingers are spaced from the upper to provide uniformly and progressively increasing lengths in successive lacings from the toe end of the eyelettededges towards the ankle opening. With difierent stylesof lasts, the locations of the measuring fingers are adjusted by changing the positions of the ends of a rod against which the measuring fingers are forced by the action of the lacing cords. in being drawn tightly through the. eyelets of the upper. The measuring finger locating rod is straight. and, is efiectivo in determining the correct relative lengths of lacin s only when-the rows of eyelets in the upp r are approximately straight. If the eyelets are arranged incurved rows along the eyeletted upper .15 folded upper is applied to the series of needles edges, adjustments of the rod give an approximation only of the correct lengths between successive lacingsinserted by the machine. As a result, when the upper is applied to a last, he strains exerted on the upper while being stretched over the lastv may tend to distort it from its intended-; shape.

One object. or the present invention is to provide a machine for lacin eyelettedshoe uppers havin eyelet inheir edges arranged incurved or irregular rows. Another objec is so to arran e a lacing maQhine for operation upon uppershaving curved rows of eyelets, that a single set, of adjustments. only is necessary for successlE-ul operation on a particular style of shoe, the machin being capable oi operating upon a full range of shoe sizes having the same style Without other adjustment. 7

With the above objects in view, an important feature of the present invention consists in the provision, in a machine having a series of lacing devices. operating to pass a series of individual lacings through the aligned eyelets of a folded shoe upper, of quickly adjustable means for pro- 1 5 duc-i-ng slack in eachlacing in an amount differing from one lacing toanother and departing from a uniform difference between successive lacings to the extent required by the curvatures in the eyelet rows. In the preferred form of construction, the slack producing means comprises measuring fingersso arranged asto be adjustable relatively to each other and, as illustrated herein, the measuring fingers are also jointly adjustable to: produce slack in each lacing progressively increasing in amount from one lacing to another and separately adjustable to produce slack in each lacing in an amount departing from a uniform progressive difference between successive lacings.

These. and other features consist in the: constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. The advantagesof these features will read dy be understood from the following description taken in connection with, the accompanying drawings,

in which Fig. lyiS a. perspective view of portions of a.

when the upper is, stretched over a last;

and a portion of the slack adjusting rod in the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the measuring finger and its supporting lever, as viewed along the line IV-l'.V of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of a portion of the lacing unitsin the machine, indicating the relative locations of the cord measuring fingers when adjusted to a particular style of shoe, with the lacing units spaced from each other;

Fig. 6 is a detail side fingers 8 comprise the forward ends of a series view of the lace inserting 7 devices of the machine, indicating the manner of operation'of the cord measuring fingers; Fig. 7 is a view in front elevation of a portion of the lacing units in the machine, together with l a gage for assisting in the adjustment of the.

identified except as hereinafter set forth. The

lacings are inserted througha series of eyelets in a shoe upper while the upper is held clamped in folded relation with pairs of eyelets in opposite sides in alignment. Each pair of aligned eyelets operated upon has inserted therein a length of cord formed into a series of enchained loops, alternate ones of which are passedthrough the eyeletsand the others of which are passed across the eyeletted edges of the upper to provide separate lacings, the bight portion of eachloop acting to lock the previously formed loop in place.

Referring more particularly to'Fig. 6 of the drawings, a section of a folded shoe upper is indicated as clamped at 2 in operating position relatively to a series of lacing devices by a series of pairs of clamping members 3 in the machine. The lacing devices each comprise a reciprocating and laterally moving eye-pointed needle 4, a

1ooper 6 and a slack forming, cord measuring finger 8, each set of lacing devices being mounted in a frame It] and constituting a lacing unit, the spaces between which may be changed equally and simultaneously. To change the spacing between the lacing units, the machine is proof levers fulcrumed on a rod [6 extending loosely through the series of lacing unit frames and engaging at their rearward ends with a transverse rod I8 pivotally connected to arms 20 fixed to shafts 22 rotatable in the main frame of the machine to render all the fingers jointly adjustable. During lacing operations, th'etension of the lacing cords passing about the measuring fingers causes each one to be forced against the rod, thereby definitely locating the measuring positions of the fingers. When the style of upper operated upon requires the eyeletted edges to diverge from the toe end of the edges towards the ankleopening of the upper, the position of the rod [8 is adjusted with an inclination corresponding to the angle of divergence required between the upper edges. The inclination of the rod I8 is adjusted by rotating the shafts 22 different amounts. Secured to the outer end of each shaft 22 is an arm 24 having [a springpressed operating handle 26 provided with 'a detent for holding the arm in adjusted position against a suitable toothed rack 21. The rod l8, being straight, is effective to cause a series of lacings to be inserted of progressively increasing or decreasing length throughout the series of eyelets in the upper. The increase between sue.- cessive lacings, however, is uniform in amount so that, if the eyeletted edges are curved or the eyelets are arranged in curved rows rather than in straight rows, the lengths of the lacings will not always be such as will insure uniform stretching of the upper over a last.

In Fig. 9 an upper 28 is illustrated having curved eyeletted edges in which the eyelets are inserted in curved and irregular rows parallel to the edges.., Dif erent sizesof shoe uppers constructed with the curvatures of the same style illustrated have substantially the sameeXtent of curvature along their eyeletted edges from the smallest size upper to the'largest, the average inclination of the eyeletted edges beingthe, same. If, an attempt is made to lace such a style of upper on th machine of the patents above referred to, difii culty is encountered as a result of certain ofvthe lacings being tensioned to a greaterextent than vided with a spacing mechanism including a edges towards the ankle opening of' the upper' To obtain this result, successive cord measuring fingers are spaced from the upper'while being laced in the machine by uniformly increasing distances along the series of units. Between reciprocations of the needles 4, the lacing cord is drawn across each measuring finger so that the length of each lacing increases progressively "from one end of the series ofeyelets in the upper to the other.

As in the prior machine, the cord measuring others when the upper is opened out for application to a last. This is the result of setting the machine to insert lacings with slack varying uniformity from one lacing to another.

, Inorder to enable shoe uppers having eyeletted edges of such curved or irregular. shapes to be laced satisfactorily, the slack forming; cord measuring fingers 8 in the machineof the present invention, are individually adjustable and are each formed in two parts, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the forward cord engaging portion 29 of which is adjustabl mounted on the; supporting lever portion indicated at 30. The measuring fingers in the present machine are pivotally connected at '32 with the lever 33 and adjustably secured in position on the levers by the engagement of a tooth 34 oneach finger engaging one of a'se'ries of grooves-36 on each lever 30. 'The cord engaging portion 29 may readily be sprung aw'ay fromthe lever portion 30 to disengag the tooth" 34 from the grooves 36 during adjustment. To limit the adjusting movement of the fingers on the levers in one direction, the fingers are each provided with a lug 38 located to engage the under side of the forward end' of each lever. When the finger is adjusted to a location closest to the upper, as

shown in Fig. 6, the lug 38 prevents any possibili'ty of accidental engagement between the upper and the finger during lacing operations.

The method of utilizing the adjustable cord measuring fingers in the present machine is best illustrated in Figs. 3, 5 and '7. The frames ll} of the lacing units first are brought together in positions of their closest possible approach, as indicated in Fig. 7, b operation of the spacing lever M. All of the measuring fingers 8 being raised on their respectivelevers 3!] until the lugs 38 engage the under side of the levers, a gage 40 is brought into proximity with forward portions 29 of the measuring fingers. The gage All is cut with a straight upper edge and a series of steplike surface 42, the positions of which are determined by the relative lengths of successive lacings in an upper of the style illustrated in Fig. 9. After bringing the gage into proximity with the measuring fingers, the inclination of the transverse rod I8 is changed to adjust jointl all the cord engaging ends of the fingers and bring them approximately into position against the surface 42 on the gage. Thereafter, the tw portions 29, 30 of each finger are relatively adjusted. individually and locked, as above explained, to bring the upper edge of portion 29 accurately against the respective gage surface 42. For convenience, the straight edge of the gage is brought into contact with the under sides of the lower clamping members 3 to fix the location of the gage while adjusting the measuring fingers. The gage is then withdrawn from th machine and the lacing units separated to bring the needles into alignment with the eyelets of the upper. With the adjustments of the measuring fingers thus set, the full range of sizes from the smallest to the largest upper of an particular curved edged style may be operated upon to provide lacings having lengths that will insure satisfactory lasting of the completely laced upper.

By providing a separate gage of this nature whenever a new style of upper is being laced, a minimum of time will be required in adjusting the cord measuring fingers separately to give the desired results. The gage, therefore, enables adjustment of the machine to be made in a simple and routine manner, without the exercise of special care or ability on the part of the lacing machine operator. The several measuring fingers may be readjusted to bring the cord engaging portions into alignment during the regular use of the machine on uppers having straight eyelet ted edges and, unless uppers having curved edges are encountered, the method of operating the machine involves no troublesome adjustments, since the measuring fingers may be shifted into aligned positions with their respective lugs 38 in contact with the levers 30 on which they are pivoted without the use of a gage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for lacing eyeletted shoe uppers having curved or irregular rows of eyelets, the combination with a series of lacing devices arranged to pass a series of individual lacings through the aligned eyelets of a folded shoe upper, of quickly adjustable means for producing slack in each lacing in an amount differing nonuniformly between successive lacings of the series.

2. In a machine for lacing eyeletted shoe uppers having curved or irregular rows of eyelets, the combination with a series of lacing devices arranged to pass a series of individual lacings through the aligned eyelets of a folded shoe upper and a series of measuring fingers for producing sufiicient slack in the iacings to permit opening out of the upper for application to a last, of means comprising levers separate from the fingers and quickly adjustable connections for changing the relative positions of the measuring fingers on the levers to cause the slack in successive lacings to differ non-uniformly between successive lacings.

3. In a machine for lacing eyeletted shoe uppers having curved or irregular rows of eyelets, the combination with a series of lacing devices arranged to pass a series of individual lacings through the aligned eyelets of a folded shoe upper, a series of measuring fingers for producing sufficient slack in the lacings to permit opening out of the upper for application to a last, and means for adjusting the measuring fingers as a group to produce slack in the lacings, of quickly adjustable means comprising disengageable tooth and groove connection for changing the location of each measuring finger individually to vary the amount of slack in different lacings.

4. A machine for lacing eyeletted shoe uppers having, in combination, a series of needles arranged to pass through the aligned eyelets of a folded shoe upper, means for imparting reciprocating movements to the needles and for relatively moving the upper and needles to cause each needle to pass alternately over the edges of the upper and through a pair of aligned eyelets, devices cooperating with the needles to form a series of individual cord lacings extending through the eyelets and across the edges of the folded upper, measuring fingers over which the cord is passed by the needles for producing sufficient slack in the lacings to permit opening out of the upper for application to a last, and means for adjusting the positions of the measuring fingers comprising a rod against which the fingers are pressed as a result of the tension in thelacing cord, adjustable arms for supporting the ends of the rod to enable the rod to be held in a position at an inclination to the plane of the folded shoe upper, and quickly actuable adjusting means for each individual measuring finger to enable the slack in successive lacings to be increased from one lacing to another in an amount varying from that provided by a change in inclination of the rod.

JOSEPH FOSSA. 

